Take my Hand
by GothicAngel09
Summary: The story seemed so unbelievable...but this was Kaito, and he wasn't running away... (Rated T just to be safe)


***I do not own Magic Kaito, or its characters. I also do not own the lyrics below. They belong to the band 'Rise Against', and were the inspiration for this fic. Enjoy! **

**~"We'll sneak out while they sleep, and sail off in the night. We'll come clean, and start over the rest of our lives. When we're gone, we'll stay gone, out of sight out of mind. It's not too late; we have the rest of our lives." ~**

It was official.

Nakamori Aoko was furious with her best friend. Well, actually, to be fair; she had been furious. Now, she was confused. Hurt. Anxious. And something else she couldn't even put a name to. Sitting on her bed on a crisp, clear autumn night, Aoko was trying, without success, to sort out her feelings. She'd left her window open, hoping the cool air would help clear her mind. It was not, absolutely not, an invitation for a certain magician thief to come in. At least, that's what she told herself.

The events of the last few hours had left her shaken. The heist that night had gone on in its usual fashion. Kaitou Kid had swept in, grabbed the jewel, and then proceeded to escape in his usual outlandish ways. Everything had been completely normal- until the gunfire started. Then Aoko's whole world had been toppled upside down. The irony of it all was that it had happened completely by accident. She'd just happened to be at the heist that night because the silence in her house bothered her more than usual and Kaito had been acting strangely at school. Usually, if Kaito didn't want someone to see what he was feeling, he could shut them out. Poker Face, he called it. Aoko could usually see through his masks, though there were the rare times he shut_ ou_t even her. So when Kaito was visibly anxious and it was clear it was not on purpose, it unnerved her.

Of course, now she knew why he had been so anxious. And it was all because she'd just _happened _to be at the damn heist that night. Just _happened _to be in one of the rooms along Kid's escape route. The same room he just _happened _to duck into to avoid the gunfire. She really needed to talk to someone about her bad luck…..

When Kid had noticed her presence, he had turned as white as his suit for about two seconds before his cool, arrogant smirk was put back into place.

"Good evening Nakamori-san," he had said, bowing slightly. "Decided to join the family business, have we?" Aoko was, for a moment, too shocked that Kaitou Kid was actually this close to her to formulate a response.

"You know," he went on, "You really shouldn't even be here at all." He gave her one of his trademark teasing grins before saying, "Heists are no place for a lady such as yourself."

Aoko had pretty much recovered herself by this point and she really wasn't appreciating the condescending tone in his voice. She also didn't mind saying so.

"How dare you! I could call my father right now and- …" She just realized. The gunfire was still going on and her father was still out there and… and….

"Don't worry Nakamori-san," Kid's calm voice broke through the chaos of her thoughts, "Your father is alright."

"And how would you know that? Oh, I forget…." Aoko went on, "you know everything, right?"

Kid chuckled. "Hardly. It's just that I personally made sure he was safe. Couldn't have someone take out my favorite hack inspector!" Aoko was taken aback again. He had _personally_ made sure her dad was safe? She knew he had his "No one gets hurt" policy, but this seemed above and beyond.

"Well, thank you, I suppose…."

"It's alright Nakamori-san. I know how hard it must be for you to thank me. You don't have to say anything else. Hey… a smile, I really must be magic!" It was true; he had gotten her to smile. It was strange how comfortable she felt in his presence. Even with all the chaos going on outside, she didn't feel afraid. Nor did she feel what she expected to feel if she ever were to be this close to the illusive Phantom Thief.

Of course, looking back hours later, Aoko knew why she felt so comfortable. So safe. She'd found in the reflection of the monocle that damn thief always wore the face of a boy who had stolen her heart long ago. She saw in his beautiful violet eyes that she'd always loved the same anxious look she'd seen earlier that afternoon. Poker Face slipped, cracked, just long enough for her to see these things before quickly closing up again. Aoko had wanted to run, run from that room and never look back. But something stopped her. More than one something actually.

There was still the matter of the gunfire, which had stopped for a moment but has started up again and was getting louder. Closer. Another was the tone in Kaito's voice when he'd noticed her trying to leave. Aoko had never heard Kaito be so pleading before, so gentle. Kaito, the trickster magician who loved to play pranks others and flip her skirt; who always had the same arrogant carefree smile on his face, was showing vulnerability for the first time since his father died. This was the one and only reason which made Aoko put her anger on hold and hear Kaito out. It wasn't like they had many options, she still couldn't go anywhere yet.

The story wasn't a pretty one. Nor was it very happy. Aoko was shocked to learn that Kaito's father, Kuroba Toichi, had been murdered all those years ago. Her mind flashed back to the night it had happened, the first and only time she'd seen Kaito cry. But there was more to the story. His father had been killed because he had refused to find a certain gem for this organization. So they had set up his death to look like an accident. Aoko couldn't understand how any gem could be that valuable. Sure, it was probably expensive, but was it really worth killing over?

But that was the thing, Kaito had told her. There was so much more to this gem than any other. This stone had another gem nestled inside of it. A gem that glowed red in the moonlight; that cried tears that granted immortality. Aoko was stunned. The story seemed so unbelievable. But this was Kaito, and even with everything she had learned tonight, she still believed and trusted him. Oh, she was furious, and would take out her frustration with her trusty mop later; but now was not the time.

A noise right outside the door made Aoko jump. "Shhh…." Kaito whispered as he drew closer to her. They had been standing face to face in the middle of the room, but now he came closer, until he was standing slightly in front of her, facing the door. Someone was opening the door; they could hear the creak of the knob as it was being turned. Aoko's heart felt like it was going to jump out of her ribcage, and her stomach lurched. Still, she managed to spare the thought that Kaito was not running away. What if it was one of the Force outside the door? Without thinking, Aoko reached out and grabbed one on Kaito's hands in her own. Kaito glanced back for half a second before looking back just as the door opened to reveal his worst nightmare, Snake.

What happened next, Aoko only remembers in bits and pieces; flashing in her mind like a colorful blur. She remembers gunfire, running, and blood; so much blood. One thing she also remembers vividly is that Kaito never lets go of her hand. They are on the roof before she realizes the man is no longer chasing them anymore. It's also when Aoko realizes a lot of the blood is hers, her side feels like it's on fire.

Kaito notices the blood too. "Aoko!" He exclaims, as they stop running near the edge. He gently lowers her to the ground until she is in a sitting position, back leaning against the side of the roof. Aoko can hear him talking, but her head is fuzzy and the pain so intense, she can't make out the words. She can feel him though, his hands trying to cover the wound, stop the bleeding. He seems so frantic, so unlike himself that Aoko wants to comfort him, but she just doesn't have the energy. All of a sudden though, something changes.

**A/N: So I meant this to be only a one shot, but it has totally mutated. :) It is turning out to be much longer than I anticipated, so I am breaking it up into 2 chapters. Sorry for the slight cliffhanger, the second part will be up soon, I promise! (And yes I know, I am bad at multitasking stories, but the second part **_**will **_**be up soon and the next chapter of 'From Aho to Z' **_**will **_**be posted on time on Sunday.) Promise… :) So until then! **


End file.
